BMW Is Keeping The B7 Name For The New ALPINA 7 Series
ALPINA
The V8-powered ALPINA 7 Series (G72) arrives in 2027 as the first B7 since the G12 went out of production in 2022.
Article Summary
- A prototype passed 186 mph at Nardò, and its head-up display briefly showed about 589 hp and 578 lb-ft, more than the 563-hp M760 xDrive.
- BMWBLOG expects the B7 to debut in spring 2027, priced above the M760 xDrive and below the Rolls-Royce Ghost.
- The next XB7 is based on the G67 X7, reportedly coded G69, and is due about a year after the sedan.
The V8-powered ALPINA 7 Series (G72) due in 2027 revives the B7 badge last worn by the G12, and the ALPINA version of the next-generation X7 will still be sold as the XB7. The new ALPINA 7 Series will still be called the B7. We learned that BMW is keeping the name for the first car of its BMW ALPINA brand, and the ALPINA version of the next-generation X7 stays an XB7.
Why B7 Beats A 760 Badge On The ALPINA 7 Series
ALPINA’s 7 Series has carried the B7 name since the E65 generation, when it replaced the B12. The last one, the G12 B7, went out of production in September 2022. Keeping the name ties the new car, known internally as the G72, to those sedans instead of restarting with a number borrowed from BMW’s own lineup.
Any other badges would also have collided with BMW’s flagship. In October, BMW brought the V8 back to the 7 Series in the M760 xDrive, which uses an evolution of the S68 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 rated at 420 kW (571 PS) in Europe, or about 563 hp. An ALPINA 760 and a BMW M760 with related engines and very different prices is the kind of pairing a salesperson has to explain twice.
The name also suits where BMW wants ALPINA to sit. BMW took over the brand on January 1, 2026, and Oliver Viellechner, head of BMW ALPINA, said at the Vision BMW ALPINA reveal in May that it “fills a gap in our portfolio between BMW and Rolls-Royce.” A badge that read like another 7 Series trim would have undercut that.
The Next-Generation X7 Keeps The XB7 Name Too
The XB7 name was easier to call, since BMW filed trademarks for XB3, XB6, and XB8 earlier this year. We thought the sedan might end up the odd one out, but the B7 and XB7 now follow the same logic.
The current XB7 is built alongside the X7 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and its final edition developed under the founding Bovensiepen family, the XB7 Manufaktur, is limited to 120 units for the US and Canada. Its successor is the ALPINA version of the G67 X7, reportedly coded G69 and due about a year after the sedan.
What Powers The New ALPINA B7, And When Does It Arrive?
BMW has confirmed a V8 but hasn’t released output figures. During high-speed testing at the Nardò Technical Center in Italy, a prototype passed 300 km/h (186 mph), and the head-up display in BMW’s video briefly showed 439 kW and 784 Nm, or about 589 hp and 578 lb-ft. BMW hasn’t called those numbers final, but they would put the B7 ahead of the M760 xDrive. Yet, we still expect the car to make more than 600 horsepower, in the United States at least.
BMW says the first ALPINA production model arrives in 2027, and we expect the B7 to debut in spring 2027. It will sit above the M760 xDrive and below the Rolls-Royce Ghost, and BMW hasn’t announced pricing.
Earlier reports pointed to a six-cylinder version and possibly an electric one alongside the V8, which leaves one question open: whether every ALPINA 7 Series will wear the B7 badge.
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